SUGI 28 Professional Development and User Support Paper 247-28 SAS-L – A VERY POWERFUL RESOURCE FOR SAS USERS WORLDWIDE JoAnn Matthews, Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Pittsburgh, PA Doug Zirbel, Pinnacle Solutions, Inc, Indianapolis, IN ABSTRACT SAS-L is an electronic mail discussion group that Electronic mailing lists provide a forum for SAS was developed to allow SAS users worldwide the users to participate in discussions or send and receive potential to communicate with some the best and e-mail about SAS. A LISTSERV makes use of a most powerful SAS users in the world virtually software that manages the distribution of mail to instantaneously via discussion groups or LISTSERV thousands of subscribers called "list servers" or “a 1 e-mail servers. Originally SAS-L messages were sent LISTSERV”.. A list server automatically over electronic bulletin board systems, in the days distributes an e-mail message from one member of a prior to the Internet. Now topics of interest to the list to all other members on that list. A LISTSERV SAS user world are sent via e-mail list servers via is a kind of electronic mail facility, if you will, that the internet. Using SAS-L, a SAS user can send a allows subscribers to the LISTSERV to participate in electronic discussion groups on any of thousands message to the LISTSERV, and a copy of that of subjects. message is sent through the LISTSERV e-mail facility to every subscriber to the service, virtually instantaneously, depending on the speed of the If you have an interest in a particular subject, chances are excellent that there is a discussion group server. Responses, comments or correct code soon on that subject. As of October, 2001, there were appear, almost instantaneously. 49,014 LISTSERVs (out of over 199,000) catalogued on the CataList website. 2 The University of This can be a very powerful resource for both the Georgia supports 1,800 such newsgroups for their beginning SAS programmer, who might be university administration. Prior to the Internet, struggling with a simple syntax question, or for a discussion groups resided on Bulletin Board power SAS user, with a complicated SAS software, such as Wildcat Bulletin Board Service, on programming problem. Difficult coding questions the UseNet, UseNet was a collection of networked can be solved by "SAS-L experts” quickly, virtually computers, consisting of government, university and before a SAS programmer has time to look the corporate computer systems that made use of dial-up topic up using a manual. Topics include SAS modems. The UseNet was the beginning of what has 3 programming questions, announcements of interest to now evolved into the Internet. the user community, complaints about SAS Institute, or any subject that is deemed appropriate. What makes SAS-L so exciting is that is it a rich forum for sharing knowledge. Knowledge SAS-L is one of the oldest, most successful Management is the process through which programming oriented e-mail lists, founded in 1985, organizations generate value from their intellectual at the University of Georgia.1 While it is “officially” and knowledge-based assets. Some assume that independent of SAS Institute, SAS Institute Knowledge Management is Information Technology, frequently monitors the service to ensure accuracy of but that is not the case. IT facilitates KM. By the information that is being disseminated. fostering the free flow of ideas and knowledge, SAS- L is an excellent Knowledge Management tool, and SAS-L one that every SAS programmer should take advantage of. What better way to share knowledge New users of SAS software may not be aware of a than on SAS-L? very powerful free resource that is available to them, the SAS–L LISTSERV. SAS-L is an electronic And please keep in mind that SAS-L is not just mail discussion group LISTSERV that was valuable for the new user who is trying to solve a developed at the University of Georgia by a guy syntax or coding issue. Seasoned SAS programmers named Harold that gives users the potential to are also encouraged to share their expertise and communicate with some of the best and most knowledge with other SAS-L participants, and keep 1 powerful SAS users in the world via the internet. the free flow in ideas and information. Those of you SUGI 28 Professional Development and User Support who have expertise in SAS programming and syntax is also “gated” to a newsgroup named comp.soft- can subscribe to SAS-L and participate in the sharing sys.sas., which means you can access SAS-L several of knowledge that is the foundation of this ways; 1) either subscribing to the LISTSERV, 2) LISTSERV. In the process you would be helping viewing newsgroups, or lastly, and the most easily other SAS programmers worldwide gain a better accessible way, via the internet on Goggle.com. understanding of the intricacies of the SAS language. Goggle is a search engine that has archived 20 In his excellent paper on SAS-L from SUGI 25, “A years of Usenet messages on a site called Goggle 4 Personal View of SAS-L as a Teaching Tool , Ian Groups. This website mirrors the LISTSERV. Whitlock talks about the strength of the SAS-L LISTSERV as an excellent teaching tool and the HOW TO SUBSCRIBE wealth of topics and advice that SAS-L provides. Of course, he also cautions that a participant must be You can subscribe officially to SAS-L , and send and able to recognize a good solution from a bad one, but receive SAS-L messages directly, by sending a also suggests that SAS-L is self-correcting, in that the message to: [email protected] at the University group participating on SAS-L sees when poor advice of Georgia, or [email protected] at Virginia is given, and jump into the discussion to clarify. Polytechnic University, or listserv@AKH- WIEN.AC.at the University of Vienna . To subscribe, Therefore, if you are a new users or someone who type: subscribe, space, SAS-L, space and your name enjoys sharing your expertise, SAS-L can be an rich on the subject line. No message should be added to and valuable experience. It is known that those who the body of the e-mail. volunteer their time and expertise gain more from the experience than the people that they are helping. Subject: SUBSCRIBE SAS-L JOHN SMITH There is a secondary gain inherent in giving of your time or knowledge. If you deviate at all from this format, the subscription will not be processed. If you have typed the subject Whether a new users or not, the value of SAS-L line correctly, and your subscription is processed, you apparent after you have tried to research syntax using will receive a confirmation from the LISTSERV, a standard SAS manual. Often times, trying to find with instructions on how to confirm the subscription. information in a SAS manual can be daunting. Sometimes, just figuring out where to look is the The only disadvantage of being a subscriber is that major stumbling block. You may know what you your e-mail inbox will begin to receive many want to do, but not how it is referenced in the messages each day – some days upwards of fifty. manual. SAS manuals are not written to be When a regular subscriber to SAS-L sends a message particularly “user friendly”. In the time it takes to to the list-serve with a question, a copy of that open the manual and begin the arduous process of message is sent to every subscriber to the service, scanning the index, a SAS user can search the virtually instantaneously, depending on the speed of archives in Google, or post a question via the SAS- the server. At present there are several thousand L list-serve and receive a quick answer. subscribers to SAS-L. Those messages accumulate quickly in your e-mail box, and unless you are Why reinvent the wheel? There are SAS experts, diligent, and delete messages regularly, you may waiting to solve SAS problems, or showcase their exceed your disk quota on your e-mail server. SAS knowledge, for the world to see. Your question will be answered almost immediately, and Accessing SAS-L via Newsgroups by several SAS experts, with possibly several solutions. You can then pick the solution that makes Another option is to be a “casual” subscriber to SAS- the most sense to you. L by using newsgroups. This way you can access the information unofficially, without actually So how does SAS-L work? Originally SAS-L subscribing. In order to do this you will need to messages were sent over electronic bulletin boards, in configure your browser to access the newsreader in the days prior to the Internet. Now, topics of interest your browser, either Netscape Messenger, or to the SAS user world are sent via e-mail Outlook Express, in Microsoft’s Explorer. The LISTSERV servers over the Internet. SAS-L is a name of the newsgroup is comp.soft-sys.sas. “peered” list, which means that it resides on a number of listservers, and messages on one server The advantage of being a casual SAS-L “browser” will be sent to all LISTSERV servers. This is a very rather than a full-subscribe is that your e-mail quota powerful feature of a LISTSERV. The LISTSERV does not get filled with the large number of e-mails SUGI 28 Professional Development and User Support that are sent each day via the LISTSERV. For some While SAS-L is “officially” independent of SAS users, this is an important distinction.